Painting for me was never just about painting something. It was about realising a vision.
You see, I believe that we humans are put here on this earth and we all have an inbuilt vision and a purpose to fulfil. For me painting was about learning to understand that we can actualise our purpose - if we put our minds to it of course - as nothing ever comes easy. The process of painting and creation parallels to how we live our lives.
We may have a big dream or a bold vision of how we want our lives to play out. But in life we firstly must define the dream, and then use the many tools at our disposal to get to work on making it a reality.
It’s about going somewhere and discovering something worthwhile along the way.
I’ve always seen a brighter future ahead - and therefore I am compelled to pick up a paint brush to define it. I work hard everyday focusing , learning new techniques, occasionally making mistakes or discovering something new I hadn’t anticipated- all the while getting closer towards creating that ‘vision’ on a canvas.
When the painting is complete I gain a sense of pride, satisfaction and I feel ignited and engaged to know that as humans we have an ability to actulaise our dreams if we just focus our minds and let our hunger and our determination prevail - especially when we find something we believe is worthy of doing. It’s that something that keeps us up at night, that something that makes us jump out of bed in the morning. It’s something bigger than ourselves.
Surely that in itself is the art of living consciously.
Your instincts and your subconscious thoughts are guiding you towards your true purpose and mission. Listen to them.
Along this journey of self discovery there are many things to master, getting over self doubt, learning to accept failure at times, navigating the world and learning who we truly are and what we are truly living for. It’s all in the name of discovering our true sense of self and purpose.
Different people who may not be creatives can find this in other areas of their lives, whether that be to actualise the vision of raising the perfect family, or becoming a chef or a wood carver. It’s that certain thing that keeps us awake at night. But it all parallels to the process of having a vision and having enough passion, conviction, determination and hunger to see it through.
So whatever it is that keeps you awake at night and niggles at you from time to time, don’t ignore it, tune into it and have a go at pursuing that dream or vision. And don’t get overwhelmed with the worry of failing, I have failed many times but I see failure as the building bricks towards future success.
Don’t just live a life you think you should live, instead tune into that deep burning desire and have a go - you may discover it’s been waiting for you your whole life!
Figure out what it is - and get to work building it. Like building sandcastles in the sand, but remember time is running out, so don’t wait too long or else your dreams may vanish with the incoming tide.
Some of these deeper thoughts, philosophies and delving into our subconscious minds are themes explored in my collection of sketches that make up the DREAMSCAPE COLLECTION.